Convert Followers to Customers with Confidence
Listen, we get it. You love creating content. Posting to stories is your jam! Want to make a Reel with trending audio and cool transitions? No problem! But, when it comes having real life conversations that convert your followers to paying customers, you’d rather crawl under your desk and turn off the lights.
We have been there, friends. It’s easy to show off what warms your heart and wallet when it comes to your business, but when it comes to approaching your network and (gasp!) talking to them about what you have to offer, your feet are cold as ice.
Do you know why we struggle so much with conversations? Our theory is because the outcome is out of our control. When we are posting our own content, we are in control of the flow and the end result.
When we are initiating and having conversations, we are dependent on another person’s response and reaction – and that CAN be intimidating!
Let’s talk about the types of conversations to have with your network and four things to consider as you build your business through social media connections.
Before we break down a few examples, let us put a disclaimer on THIS particular conversation. We never recommend copy and paste messaging or working directly from a script. Your messages and reach-outs should sound like YOU, not your upline, your coach or your business bestie. Feel free to use any suggestions that we give as a guide and spice up the recipe with what makes YOU special and unique.
Each conversation that you have on social is a drop into your pipeline that moves to convert your followers to customers. From your newest follower to your biggest fans, what you say and HOW you say it is truly important. Let’s take a closer look!
New Followers
New followers aren’t yet quite familiar with what you have to offer, but they are “window shopping” your content. They may be watching your Reels, following your stories or browsing your grid.
If you’re someone who owns a business that is extremely product-driven, you might reach out to a new follower and say, “Hey, welcome! Is there anything that I can help you find?”
If you’re someone who has more of an influencer-based feel to their page, you might NOT reach out right away. In this case, you might consider waiting for the eye contact from your new follower. Read on for how to handle engagements!
Engaged Followers
When one of your followers likes your post, votes on your poll or reacts to your story in some way, this is your chance to start building the relationship between you and the person who has given you the virtual eye contact. An initial reach-out example could be something like, “Hey! Thanks so much for liking my post about being a tired work from home mom. Do you also work from home with kids?”
If one of your followers engages on a post that is business related or product related, that is your green light to be more direct about your approach. A reach-out of this nature might look or sound like this: “Hi! I noticed that you liked my post about my anti-inflammatory diet – thank you! Are you on a journey as well?”
If a follower likes a post about your business opportunity, your conversation could start out with a clarifying question. For example, “Thanks so much for liking my post about my business. Are you a coach/consultant/distributor as well or is this something that you are interested in?”
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out!)
People hate to miss out on a product or opportunity that they think is limited or exclusive! If you are running a sale and it’s ending soon, it’s perfectly okay to say, “Hey! I know you expressed interest in saving during this sale and it ends tomorrow. Did you want to get your order in before pricing returns to normal?”
If you own a product-based business and inventory is limited, reach out to someone who expressed interest and say, “Hey! I know you were interested in ______. I only have two left if you want to snag one!”
People are not following along as closely as you might think they are! They will appreciate you bringing this information to their attention and giving them a chance to snag something that they may have otherwise missed.
Business Opportunity
If you’re creating content for the business opportunity or extending invites and not experiencing a lot of engagement, it’s normal! People are often more hesitant to interact on content regarding joining your team because it is intimidating to them.
You want to share your business opportunity in the same way and to the degree that you share about products. Asking people, “have you ever thought about doing what I do?” is a great way to start the business conversation.
Knowing your ideal business partner is also vital. If you follow someone on social who encompasses the traits that you’re looking for in a teammate, there is nothing wrong with reaching out and saying, “You’re a great motivator! Have you ever considered the business that I am in for yourself?”
Follow-ups
The majority of sales happen in the follow-ups. We suggest following up with 24-48 hours from sending the initial invite. Most people are busy, and while they might read your invitation, they may think, “Oh, I’ll get back to that later,” and then end up forgetting. It’s totally okay to reach out and tell them that you’re following up to see if they are interested.
We also suggest following up before the deadline to your goal. Your last follow-up might come 12-24 hours before the deadline. It could sound like, “Hey, I’m thinking that this may not be the right time for you. Would you like me to add you to my list to follow up with next month to see if it is a better time for you?”
We talk about conversations extensively in our Direct Sales Done Right Mentorship. If you are wanting to strengthen your reach-out skills, this could be the mentorship for you!
Conversion Rates
One of the biggest concerns that we hear from our friends in direct sales is that no one is joining their teamer buying their products.
Our question is: “How MANY conversations are you actually having?” The average conversion rate on 10 conversations is ONE sale or enrollment! With that math in mind, let’s take a closer look on how to work your goals.
We think it’s really important to step into the end goal that you want to have in a particular period of time. What does this mean? Let us explain.
Say you want to enroll 5 new people into your business in 10 days. With that in mind, you will need to have approximately 50 conversations in those 10 days! Let’s take the number of reach-outs that you will need to do and divide it by the time period that you have.
With 50 conversations as your goal and 10 days to have them, you will want to have roughly 5 conversations a day to achieve your 5 “yes’s!”
The next time you feel down about the rate at which you’re converting your followers to customers, we encourage you to take a closer look at just how many conversations that you are having. Chances are that it may not be enough!
We strongly recommend tracking your conversations! If you don’t have your own method, consider our Income Producing Activity Tracker found in our Make Chic Happen Planner!
Confidence
Confidence is key when it comes to having conversations about your business. It is important to posture yourself as the brilliant business owner that you are. People are attracted to confidence! For example, confidence tells your network, “I am the expert in this arena and I am able to: (suggest the right products for you, mentor you in starting your own business, provide the service that you need.)
When having conversations, try not to talk yourself out of the reach-out by writing someone’s story in your head. Sometimes we tell ourselves that a particular person doesn’t need our services because of what they share online or how they present their own lives. Truth be told, none of us truly knows what another person dreams about behind closed doors (or apps!) The only way to find out if what you offer is what they have been wanting is to find the confidence to invite. It’s impossible to convert a follower to a customer if you don’t have the confidence to talk to them!
Curiosity
When it comes to sharing about your products or business in a 1:1 conversation, curiosity will get you much farther than word vomiting everything that YOU think the other person needs to know. When someone gives you the green light to give them information, you want to put the ball back in their court by asking questions.
First, ask the person why they are interested in the products or business. Second, ask them what questions THEY have as it pertains to what you’re talking about. Third, ask them to divulge any objections that they might have about the topic at hand. When you source out that information up front, it gives you stepping stones to land on as you navigate the conversation ahead of you.
Remember, people love to talk about themselves and what is on their mind. You may be in a product or service based business, but ultimately, you’re in a people business. Get curious about the people that you’re serving and you WILL serve them well! You will convert your followers to customers at a faster rate if you practice being a consumer of the information that THEY give YOU about themselves!
Consistency
When you’re consistently having conversations, you’re working those business muscles and the activity becomes natural and easy.
Being consistent with your conversations helps in two specific ways. One, the more conversations that you have, the more you can anticipate what people will ask. You are also able to predict where they may object. When you can anticipate what is coming, you can arm yourself with responses. Skilled responses help to move your prospects farther down the pipeline from observers to paying customers.
Two, you truly get to know your ideal client and who you are serving. Your conversations roll off of your tongue rather than your tongue being tied as to how to respond!
At the end of the day, posting on social builds your brand, but having conversations with your followers builds relationships. Relationships are what move your followers through the pipeline and converts them to paying customers and clients. If your mouth is closed about what you have to offer, the doors to your virtual business are, too. Let your confidence show as you bravely share what you have to offer. Someone out there is looking for what only YOU can provide and they just might be waiting for you to make the first move.
